Rhododendron Diseases

Learning to deal with plant disease is easier than you think. So why is the lush Rhododendron you bought at a greenhouse now sickly with veined leaves? You can thank Japanese beetles. Or perhaps a fungal disease floated in the air and landed on a leaf to germinate, spreading wilting, dark spots. To identify any issue, start with examining your plant's leaves and flowers.

Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot Disease

Plants that sit in wet soil are affected. It looks like yellowing foliage, according to Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. The stems die, leaves drop off and flowers wilt. Trees will die within 3 to 10 years. To prevent this from happening, replace the soil. There is no cure for phytophthora, but it's suggested to plant rhododendrons in well-drained areas.

Rhododendron Bud Blast Disease

Rhododendron leafhoppers spread a bud-blast disease; buds die and are covered with spiny, black fungal spores. It happens during the late summer, when flower buds are developing. According to the Reader's Digest Guide, you should spray the plant with insecticidal soap to prevent this problem. If it's too late, get rid of the infected buds and apply garlic spray to deter the leafhoppers.

Ray Blight or Petal Blight Disease

Ray blight or petal blight are dark water spots on the flower petals that cause rot. This happens is during wet, cold summers. To avoid this issue, spray plants with copper before flowers open.

Azalea Gall Disease

Azalea gall affects small-leaf rhododendrons by plumping up the leaf, turning it pale green or pink and then brown. This occurs in poorly drained soil. Cut off the dying leaves to save the plant.
Pluck off dead flower heads to increase how many buds your plant will produce. According to the Reader's Digest All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening, give your plant only half the recommended fertilizer bags normally suggest.

Japanese Beetles

You may notice holes in your flowers and a skeleton of the leaves. Japanese beetles are the cause. They are thick, metallic green bugs that can consume an entire rhododendron. The beetles lay their eggs midsummer, and later dirty, brown-headed grubs emerge. By spring of the next year, they feed on your plant. According to Rodale's, you must shake the beetles off your plant every morning to prevent this destruction. You may kill them with soapy water. Rodale's best advice is to "plant pollen and nectar-rich flowers to attract native species of parasitic wasps and flies."

About this Author

Michelle Bermas has been a freelance writer since 1994. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including the "Boston Globe Sunday Magazine," "2008 Writer's Market," "The Social Cause Diet" anthology, "South Shore Living Magazine," "Hudson Valley Life," "The Boston Globe," "The Patriot Ledger Newspaper" and more. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Pace University, New York.